MAC executive urges county attention to trial court funding, revenue sharing and road plans
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Summary
Steve Curry, executive director of the Michigan Association of Counties, briefed Newaygo County commissioners on MAC priorities including trial court funding work groups, revenue-sharing proposals, public-safety trust funding, and a house Republican road-funding plan that would replace some sales-tax revenue with a gas-tax mechanism.
Steve Curry, executive director of the Michigan Association of Counties, told the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners on May 14 that MAC is focused on several state-level policy areas affecting county budgets and services.
The most immediate issues, Curry said, include work groups updating trial-court funding recommendations and a potential sunset of fee authority in 2026 that could cost counties an estimated $30 million statewide if not extended or replaced. He said MAC has representation on the court-funding work groups and will continue advocacy in Lansing.
On revenue sharing and the state budget, Curry said the governor recommended a 3.6% base increase while the state senate passed a plan with a 10% increase; MAC supports the larger increase and is monitoring differing distribution models. He also described competing proposals for a public-safety trust fund and noted the governor and senate offered different funding levels and county eligibility rules.
Curry described a house Republican road plan that would repeal the sales tax on gasoline and replace it with a revenue-neutral gas tax dedicated to roads; he said the plan would increase local road funding by roughly 8–10% for many counties. He noted the long-term fiscal questions about vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fees and pilot studies that several states have tested.
Other priorities Curry raised included the reentry Medicaid waiver for pre-conviction detainees, reimbursement for the 2021 small-business personal property tax exemption changes (reimbursed to local governments in 2024), veteran service grant shortfall legislation, and concerns about a proposed minimum-staffing rule for local public-safety employees.
Why this matters: State-level decisions on revenue sharing, court funding, road funding, and health/justice programs materially affect county budgets and service capacity. County officials thanked Curry for the briefing and asked questions about specific items, including lake-level policy and gas-tax proposals.
Ending: Curry invited commissioners to MAC policy committees and upcoming conferences; the board received the presentation with no formal action required.